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We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live. We shall endure.

Cesar Chavez

The first principle of non-violent action is that of non-cooperation with everything humiliating.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Principle Violence
Non-violence has suffered its biggest defeat in the hands of people who most want to talk about it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Defeat Hands People Suffering Talk Violence
When a man or woman, young, or old, takes a place on the picket line for even a day or two, he will never be the same again.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Himself Man Place Woman
When the man who feeds the world by toiling in the fields is himself deprived of the basic rights of feeding, sheltering, and caring for his own family, the whole community of man is sick.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Community Family Himself Man Sick World
You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Oppression Scare Yourself
Those who are willing to sacrifice and be of service have very little difficulty with people. They know what they are all about. People can’t help but want to be near them. They help them; they work with them. That’s what love is all about. It starts with your heart and radiates out.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Help Love People Sacrifice Start Willing
Never, never is it possible to reach someone if you become angry or bitter only love and gentleness can do it. Maybe not this time but maybe the next or the hundredth time.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Angry Love Possible Time
The only ones who make things change are fanatics. If you’re not a fanatic around here, you can’t cut it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Change Mad Oneself
When any person suffers for someone in greater need, that person is a human.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Greatness Human Person Suffering
When workers fall back on violence, they are lost. Oh, they might win some of their demands and might end a strike a little earlier, but they give up their imagination, their creativity, their will to work hard and to suffer for what they believe is right.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Believe Creation Fall Give Up Imagination Lost Suffering Violence Win
You are never strong enough that you don’t need help.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Enough Help Need Strong Yourself
Because we have suffered, and we are not afraid to suffer in order to survive, we are ready to give up everything – even our lives – in our struggle for justice.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Give Up Justice Struggle Suffering Survive
What is at stake is human dignity. If a man is not accorded respect he cannot respect himself and if he does not respect himself, he cannot demand it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Dignity Himself Human Respect
Organizing is an educational process. The best educational process in the union is the picket line and the boycott. You learn about life.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Education Learning Life Unity Yourself
I’ve always maintained that it isn’t the form that’s going to make the difference. It isn’t the rule or the procedure or the ideology, but it’s human beings that will make it.
CESAR CHAVEZ

Difference Human Ideas Myself
I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally nonviolent struggle for justice. To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us to be men!
CESAR CHAVEZ

Act Courage God Man Myself Ourselves Sacrifice Suffering True

We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live. We shall endure.

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We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live. We shall endure.

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Popular Authors

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